The next morning, a young maidservant from the music pavilion boarded the painted boat, led by a maid to meet Su Shiyu, conveying a token of affection from Miss Lan Yi—a beautifully embroidered sachet.
Su Shiyu nodded in acceptance, feeling the outline of a paper hidden within the sachet without changing his expression. He looked up to meet the maid's gaze, who, unfamiliar in appearance, respectfully lowered her eyes and subtly nodded. Understanding the silent exchange, Su Shiyu politely thanked the young maidservant, needing no further explanation.
Turning around, he saw Chu Mingyun leaning against the boat's railing, watching him with an indifferent expression. Upon catching Su Shiyu's gaze, Chu Mingyun turned his head away, urging the boat to set sail.
As the boat sliced through the green waves with its cassia oars and orchid rudder, they traveled a hundred miles downstream in a single day. A breeze wafted through the partially opened window, bringing the sound of water against the boat. The cabin was quiet, occasionally disturbed by the sound of chess pieces on the board, and the aroma from the mythical beast incense burner gently blended into the air.
Chu Mingyun closed his book and placed it on the low table, turning to look at Su Shiyu, who was engrossed in a game of chess with himself. With a thoughtful expression, Su Shiyu hadn't made a move for a while. Glancing at the chessboard, Chu Mingyun saw that the situation wasn't particularly challenging and shifted his gaze back to Su Shiyu's face, suddenly contemplating what the other might be pondering over.
After all, from ancient times, wearing matching pendants solidified relationships, and sachets conveyed one's feelings.
With a heart fiery and difficult to calm, almost as if it could ignite everything around, even causing a deep, burning pain, Chu Mingyun furrowed his brows. After a moment, he leaned over and rested his head on Su Shiyu's lap.
Startled, Su Shiyu snapped back to reality as the chess piece fell from his hand, clattering on the deck and rolling away. Looking down to meet Chu Mingyun's gaze, serene and quiet, Su Shiyu couldn't help but smile resignedly, "Are you tired, Mister Chi?"
Chu Mingyun lowered his eyes and murmured vaguely, attempting to wrap his arms around Su Shiyu's waist. Su Shiyu straightened up slightly to avoid his touch and pressed down on his hand, "If you're tired, you should go back to your room to rest. Lying here won't be comfortable. Besides," he paused, hesitated for a moment, and still pushed Chu Mingyun's head away gently, "My knees are not meant to serve as pillows for others."
"If you said you disliked contact with others in the past, I might have believed you." Chu Mingyun propped himself up with one hand, sitting up straight to face him, with a barely there smile, "Carrying the lady back is fine, but lending me your lap is not? Mister Su, such differential treatment is quite evident."
"Lan Yi cannot walk, and since she specifically invited me, it was only right for me to escort her back."
"Oh?" Chu Mingyun tilted his head to look at him, squinting slightly with a smile, "Brother Su?"
Su Shiyu couldn't help but tremble slightly, scrutinizing his expression, "...What's gotten into you?"
"I am jealous," Chu Mingyun said softly, with a seriousness devoid of any jest or sarcasm.
This straightforward confession, like the chess piece from before, suddenly dropped into his heart unexpectedly, causing echoes and tremors within. Su Shiyu looked into his eyes, seeing the reflection of mountains and rivers outside the boat window, and most of all, his own astonished appearance.
After a long moment of contemplation, Su Shiyu fell silent, then suddenly chuckled, "Lan Yi is merely a friend with shared interests."
"Just a friend?" Chu Mingyun laughed without any particular intonation.
Su Shiyu sighed, "Her temperament is not to my liking. Why jump to conclusions?"
"What type do you like, then?" Chu Mingyun asked.
Su Shiyu pondered this unusually, then spoke lightly, "I haven't seriously considered it before. But I had planned to wait until the court situation stabilized before getting married. I wasn't looking for a lady from an official family, just a gentle and understanding woman who knows her books."
"Indeed, that sounds like you," Chu Mingyun suddenly grasped Su Shiyu's shoulder, leaning in close, fixing him with a stare, "But I won't allow it. Su Shiyu, I intend to entangle with you for a lifetime."
Su Shiyu met his gaze, unflinching, "And how do you plan to entangle?"
"If you were to marry, I'd burn down the wedding hall, eliminate your wife, and snatch you away." Words that sounded like jest revealed an extreme, suppressed obsession.
Su Shiyu lowered his eyes, chuckling softly, "And what if it's the person I love?"
Would he still have the heart to tear them apart, to keep him by his side, to inflict pain upon him?
Could he bear it?
In a tense silence, Chu Mingyun's lips tightened, and after a long while, he asked flatly, "Do you have someone you love, then?"
Su Shiyu looked up at him, a hint of a smile in his eyes, saying, "Clearly, I do."
Chu Mingyun was startled, his expression darkening, as he pinned Su Shiyu down, his eyes cold as blades, "Who is it?"
Su Shiyu did not struggle, lying calmly and smiling up at him, "Won't you guess?"
"It doesn't matter who it is," Chu Mingyun scoffed coldly, then, after looking at him intently for a moment, suddenly said, "What if I just kissed you right now? What would you do?"
He likely didn't realize how forcefully he was gripping Su Shiyu's shoulders, the veins on the back of his hands visible, yet Su Shiyu did not even frown, still smiling at him, remaining silent.
Chu Mingyun then leaned in, inch by inch.
Seeing only his own reflection in the dark pupils, the scent of calming incense becoming clearer at this close distance, Su Shiyu suddenly spoke, his tone light:
"You proposed we go to Huainan alone, inseparable along the way, to intercept my communication with the capital, making it easier for you to maneuver in court."
It wasn't a question, but a certainty. Chu Mingyun stiffened, momentarily speechless, while Su Shiyu continued:
"At first, you claimed to be close to me due to a preference, not because of affection, but to conveniently gather information about me openly."
At that time, his decision to release the beauties from his residence was not born out of affection. Instead, it served as a strategic move to eliminate spies sent by various factions. Those women, most likely, had already met their end. He momentarily halted, his face breaking into a deep, unprecedented smile, displaying an emotion starkly different from any before—a stark bloom of a plum in the chilling embrace of snow, showcasing a side of Su Shiyu never seen before. Yet, his tone remained soothingly calm, "The extent of my knowledge surpasses these matters significantly."
His gaze locked with Chu Mingyun's, icy as a frozen pond, and he allowed a soft smile to escape, then reached out to draw him close, erasing the last traces of distance between them. Su Shiyu angled his head, placing a soft kiss at the edge of his lips, "Yet, these concerns are trivial to me."
Caught off guard, Chu Mingyun stood frozen, his mind turning blank in disbelief, struggling to discern reality from dreams.
A warm touch graced his face, tracing down his features, as Su Shiyu took his chin and brought their lips together.
Their kiss was tender and stirring; Chu Mingyun shuddered intensely, leaning in to cradle Su Shiyu's face, unleashing his passion without restraint. He swiftly shifted from defensive to assertive, eagerly exploring the subtle taste of tea between them, their fervor leaving Su Shiyu gasping for air in mere moments.
Chu Mingyun paused to allow him to catch his breath, then planted kisses with meticulous care across his forehead and eyes. His fingers glided from the shoulder, tracing every contour down to the spine, every inch quivering under his touch, capturing the grace he had admired, longed for, and pondered over, now radiating warmth beneath his fingers.
Their attire became unkempt in the throes of passion.
The surge of desire overwhelmed even the most stoic of imperial censors, until he felt Chu Mingyun's knee pressing against him, the hand continuing its path down his back without hesitation. Emerging from the haze into clarity, he gently stopped Chu Mingyun's hand, his voice laced with a hint of intrigue, "Do you intend to... take the lead?"
"Shiyu," Chu Mingyun whispered near his ear, sending a shiver through him, his breath hot against his skin, "I desire you."
His voice, low and rough, whispered his yearning, his name lingering on his lips.
"I desire you."
After a moment of silence and hesitation, Su Shiyu finally let go of the hand that was restraining Chu Mingyun.
Chu Mingyun then rose, lifting him in his arms without waiting for a reaction, leaving Su Shiyu slightly taken aback, "You…"
"I'm taking you to my room," Chu Mingyun said, his lips brushing against Su Shiyu's forehead as he struggled to conceal his labored breathing, "The floor is too hard, it might cause you discomfort later."
With the room sealed shut, he placed Su Shiyu on the bed, drawing the curtains around them, creating a secluded haven filled with their breaths. The flicker of candlelight from outside the curtains cast a soft, reddish hue on Su Shiyu's face, painting it with a radiant blush. A jade pin slipped next to the pillow, their intertwined black hair spread across, carrying a faint, enticing scent.
Chu Mingyun retrieved a carved wooden box from a hidden compartment under the bed, which, upon being opened, emitted a sweet, cloying scent of creams and cosmetics. Su Shiyu instantly realized what it was, and couldn't help but stare at him in astonishment. "How do you have this kind of thing?" he asked.
Chu Mingyun looked at him with a tilted head and a smile, "People who try to bribe me always come up with the most ingenious gifts, and I have plenty more where that came from." He leaned closer, his sweat-moistened forehead brushing against Su Shiyu's, his voice husky with emotion, "How about you help me use them all up?"
How could one even respond? Faced with such a tender and captivating gaze, words were like fishbones stuck in the throat. Overwhelmed, Su Shiyu involuntarily closed his eyes, earning a gentle kiss on his eyelashes from the other.
The scent of sandalwood mingled with soothing incense, weaving a complex fragrance that lingered in the air. Su Shiyu clenched the bedsheet tightly with his usually elegant and dexterous hands, biting back the pain that crawled up his bones, barely managing to suppress a delicate moan. Chu Mingyun took his hand, gently kissing it before pulling the quilt over their shoulders. His other hand caressed Su Shiyu's neck with varying pressure, a tender gesture amidst his own turmoil. He soothed in a low voice, "Shiyu, be good," he coaxed, kissing away tears, "Relax... I'll be gentle, don't be afraid..."
Their breaths grew heavier, and amidst the struggle to suppress his trembling voice, Su Shiyu suddenly laughed, "It's okay."
All was gentle tenderness.
"It's okay."
Everything was as desired, without worry.
Sweat trickled down their temples, crossing eyebrows and angular faces, eventually being kissed away.
Pale feet slipped out from under the thin blanket, trembling slightly after being tensed, pressing into several enticing wrinkles, which he grasped firmly, rubbing the ankle with his fingertips.
As the candlelight flickered out and the incense burned to ashes, their intimate moment finally came to a pause. Chu Mingyun held Su Shiyu close, his lips near his ear, his eyes sparkling with joy. After a long, silent moment filled with contemplation and happiness, he finally whispered with a smile, "Shiyu, I'm so happy."
That was all that was left to say, "I'm so happy, you love me, you're mine, I'm so happy."
Hearing no reply, he turned his head to see Su Shiyu with closed eyes, seemingly asleep. Chu Mingyun kissed the corner of his lips gently, then closed his eyes and embraced him to sleep.
Shortly after he closed his eyes, Su Shiyu slowly opened his own, his gaze filled with confusion and bewilderment as he stared blankly at the canopy above for a long time.
Outside the boat, the river water flowed gently, the quietness lingering for a long while before the sudden crisp sound of a window lattice breaking startled the silence. Su Shiyu turned his head and saw a black-feathered bird crashing through the window, a bamboo tube tied to its leg for carrying messages. He quickly grabbed a jade hairpin from beside the pillow and threw it with focused energy. Like an arrow, the hairpin pierced through the air, striking the bird, which shrieked and fell out of the window.
The head buried in his neck stirred, seemingly disturbed by the noise. Chu Mingyun, in a daze, slowly opened his eyes.
Su Shiyu turned over to embrace him, whispering gently in his ear, "It's nothing, go back to sleep."
It was unclear whether he really heard or understood, but Chu Mingyun tightened his embrace around Su Shiyu and closed his eyes to sleep again. Su Shiyu quietly watched him, and eventually, he too closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Deep down, he knew he could come up with hundreds, if not thousands, of strategies to counter Chu Mingyun's schemes, yet he always chose the one that was most self-detrimental.
He understood the reason why; it was an uncontrollable affection, a greedy desire inherent in human nature, utterly foolish yet impossible to cease. Even if it were all but a dream, he was willing to indulge in it as if it were the sweetest of treats.